Car-coupling-centering device.



T, N. RUSSELL.

CAR COUPLING CENTERING DEVlCE.

APPLlC-ATION FlLED MAR. 19, 1915.

1,1 5Q458, Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Fry

T. N. RUSSELL.

CAR COUPLING CENTERING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.

Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

unirnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS N. RUSSELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAR-COUPLING- CENTERING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented A ug. 17.1915.

Application tiled March 19, 1915. Serial No. 15,474.

To aZZ wimmit may concern: Be it known that I, THOMAS N. RUssELn,

is a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to means for centering a car-coupler laterallyrelative to the car-body. When a car is uncoupled from the adjacent carwhile standing upon a curved track, thecoupler is left out of its normalcentered position unless some means be provided by the action of whichthe coupler, when released from the coupler of the adjacent car, ismoved into its normal centered position relative to the car-body. When acar not provided with a couplerrcenteringdevice, and having its couplerdisplaced from its normal centered position toward one side of the car,is to be coupled to another car its coupler in normal position or out ofnormal position toward the opposite side of the car, it is necessary forthe brakeman to force one or both of the couplers laterally so as tocause a proper engagement of the coupling-devices. Inasmuch as a couplerin ordinary use upon a freight-car weighs some three or four hundredpounds, itwill beunderstood that under such circumstances the operationof coupling two cars is accomplished only by the exercise ofconsiderable force on the part of the brakeman, such operation beingaccomplished very often with some little danger to the brakema-n.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide mechanism throughthe medium of which when a'car is uncoupled the 0011-.

pler automatically moves to its normal cen-I.

tered position relative to the car, whether the whether or not the carbe precisely inits normal upright position or tipped slightly from suchnormal position by-reason offhe inclination of the track. It is anotherobject of my invention to improve devices of this type in sundry detailshereinafter pointed out.

The preferred means by which I have ac- I complished my'objects areillustrated in the accompanying drawings and are hereinafter specificalldescribed.

That w 'ch I believe to be new and de-' sire to cover in thisapplication is set forth in the claims.

In, the drawings,Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section through theshank of a coupler of a car provided with my improved centering-devices,the view being taken substantially on line l--1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is alongitudipal vertical section through the parts shown in Fig. 1,beingtaken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlargeddetail, being substantially a section taken on line 3'3 of Fig. 2; Fig.i is an enlarged detail similar to Fig. 3 but showing the parts in achangedposition; Fig. 5 is a detail taken substantially on line 5-5 (fifFig. 3, but slightly reduced in size thererom.

Referring to the several figures of the drawings, in which correspondingparts are indicated by the same reference characters,l0 indicates theend sill of a car form- 'ing a portion of the framework of the car, and11 indicates, a striking casting, said end sill and striking castingbeing secured by.

bolts or rivets in suitable position relatii'e to the remainder of theframework. As is best shown in Fig. 1, the striking casting 11 is formedin the shape of an inverted U, to the lower ends of the arms of which issecured a carrier-ironv 12. In the construction shown the carrier-iron12 is in the form of a housing, the bottom wall of which pro-- .movablymounted between the arms of the striking casting 11, being adapted tomove laterally of the car between said two arms. The coupler-shank 13and the striking casting 11 are provided with oppositely-dis posedbufi'ers -l ll5, as bestshown in Fig.

I 2, the buife'rs'being adapted to limit inward car be upon a curved ora straight track, and ,1 'mowginent Lna lly" of ,the car body.

a 'l617 indicate two supporting members tween the laterally-extendingwalls of the carrier iron'12 and adapted tooscillate laterallytherebetween'. As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4,-the lower end of each ofthe supporting members 1617 is bifurcated, providing two lugs 18-19adapted to straddle longitudinally-extending bearings ribs 20 extendingupward from the upper face of the bottom wall of the carrier-iron 12.

in thefo'rm'w of cams or arms mounted be ios 23-24, between whichflanges the oscillatory arms 16-17 have a working fit. The bearing-plate22 is provided on its upper face with lugs 25 between which thecouplershank 13 is adapted to be seated. The

flanges 23-24 are provided with oppositelydisposed vertically-extendingslots 26 in which pins 27 fixed in the cams or arms 17 are adapted towork.

For retaining the arms or cams 16-17 in proper position in thecarrier-iron housing,. I have provided pins or rivets 28 secured in thelaterally-extending walls of the carrieriron; and working in suitableslots 29 in said arms or cams. As will be readily understoid, the pins28 also serve. to prevent the supporting lugs 18-19 of the arms or camsfrom slipping out of proper operative position relative to the ribs '20.

For holding the bearing-plate 22 with its attached arms 16-17 in properposition in the earrier-ir m 12 for shipment or storage, I have provideda pin 30 passing through the laterally extending-walls ol thecarrieriron and working in'suitable slots 31 in the flanges 23-24deptaiding from the said bear -ing-plate By an inspectionof Fig. 3,which shows the eentering-deviee in its normal position, with thecoupler-shank l l'in its normal centered position relative to theear-body it will be seen that the upper face of the bearing-plate 22 issubstantially flush with thenpper edge of the laterall v-extending wallsol' the carrier-iron 12. ll, will also be noted that both of the lugs 1-19 ol' each ol ethe arms or ('alus lb -17 are in operative en--gagement with the bottom wall of the earrier-irou IL and that the slot.26 and pin 27 oli each arm or eam are direetly over the correspondinglongitlnlin.-ill \'-extending bearing-rib 2t).

With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 33. the(fflllllltEf-Slltlllli i3 is free to move laterally out ol the. normalcentral position upon the application ol'- force thereto by reason tilthe passage of the car over ,a curved track ortbrough any other agency.The shank l i. upon such amovement laterally relative to the car-body,carries with it the bearing-plate 2' by reason of the engagement of the.lugs 25 with the shank, caus log the arms or cams 10-17 to swinglaterthat I do not wish ally in the same direction. As the arms 16-17swing to the right in Fig. 3- from the A normal centered position, thesupport of each of said arms is shifted immediately in the samedirection from the two lugs 18-19 .70 to the single lug 19. At the sametime the Y point of engagement between the bearingplate 22 and thecurved upperend of each of the said arms 16-17 is also shifted sljghtly"to the left, destroying the balance of the coupler upon the said. armsor cams, whereby upon the release of the coupler from the infiuence ofthe force by which it was moved laterally the said coupler is caused tomove to the left upon thesaid arms 16-l7to re establish its equilibriumat its centered position. The curvature of the arms or cams 16-17relative to the lugs 18-19 upon which they are rocked is such that thehearing plate 22 is caused to rise very slightly if at all upon theswinging of the arms as above described.- It will be readily understoodthat the positioning of the lugs 18-19 relative to each other and thecurvature of the cams 16-17 are to be coordinated in such a way that thecoupler will be returned to its normal position relative to the car-bodyre'- gardless of any normal inclination of tl1; earbody due tounevenness of. the track or to the inclination or banking of the track vY upon a curve. Preferably the parts areis'o formed and arranged thatthe departure from equilibrium upon a lateral movemen of thee-oupler issubstantially the minimum possible to use which will insure the returnlollof the eouplerto normal position under any normal conditions of use.

By my construction. I have provided a v supporting arm adapted to swingin one direction in etl'ect upon one axis and adapted to swing in theother direction upon another axis. While I prefer to use this form ofdevice. it will be understood that I do not wish to limit myself to theuse of a double-axis construction of this type. except as hereinafters],)eeilicall claimed, the essentialfeature being that. upon theswinging of the arm actuated by the Lateral movement of theeoupling-deviee, the. parts shallbe so disposed by such lateral movementthat they coupler back to its 'It accordingly follows to restrict myselfto a construction involving the intern'leshingengagement between thearms 16-17, and the 1 carrier-iron for holding the arms in properposition relative. to the carrier-iron during the swinging movement ofthe arm, except as hereinafter specifically claimed.

shall tend to bring the normal position.

While I have shown a beiu-ing-plate inter 125.

posed between the simpprting arms or cams 16-17 and the couplingdeviceso that the coupllng-devu-e. ll'eetlvely supported by such arms throu hthe medium of the bearing-plate, ands-have shown two supporting 1. Thecombination of a car-body, a cow pling-device movable laterally relativeto said car-body, and an arm below said coupling-device adapted to swinglaterally to-- ward either side of the car-body and adapted to be duringits entire swinging movement in effective engagement with saidcouplingdevice for supporting the coupling-device, said arm having itsengaging upper'end so curved relative to the axis about which it swingsthat the effective bearing point as said arm swingstoward one side ofthe carbody is shifted slightly toward the opposite side of the car-bodyrelative to the said axis whereby there is a tendency of the coupling:

device to return to its normal position.

2, The combination oi a car-body, a conplingdeviee movable laterallyrelative to ment therewith, said am being adapted to swing laterallytoward either side or the carbody, swinging in one direction from normalposition upon one axis and swinging in the en-pesite direction fromnormal position upon another axis parallel with said firstnamed axis,said am having its engaging upper end so curved relative to the axesabout which it swings that the efiective hearing point as said armswings on one axis towerdone side of the carbody is shifted slightlytoward the opposite side of the car body relative to the said axiswhereby there is a tendency of the coupling-device to is turn to itsnormal position.

3. The combination of a car-body, a contiling-device movable laterallyrelative to said cur-body, a carrier-iron extending laterally beneathsaid coupling device, and a supporting member having a plurality o'isupgiorting lugs the lower ends of which have intermeshing engagementwith said car rier iron, said supporting member having; effectiveengagement with said couplingdevi'ce for supgiorting thecoupling-device,

said supporting member being adapted to swing laterally upon one oranother of said inns and having ts engaging upper end so curved relativeto the axis upon which it swings toward either side of the car-body"that upon such a stroke ofthe said supporting member the bearing pointis shifted slightly toward the opposite side of the carbody relative tothe said axis whereby there is a tendency of the coupling-device toreturn to its normal position.

4. The combination of a carrier-iron; a coupling-device movablelaterally relative to the carrier-iron, an arm swingingly mounted onsaid carrier-iron below said coupling-device in efiective supportingengagement with the coupling-device, said arm being adapted to swinglaterally in one direction upon one axis and in the opposite directionupon an; other asis, and a pin mounted in said car rier-iron working ina guide provided by said arm for holding said arm in proper engagementwith the carrier-iron.

I 5. The combination or a carrier-iron, a

' coupling-device movable laterally relative to the carrier-iron, an armswingingly mounted on. said carrier-iron below said coupling-device ineffective supporting engagement with the coupling-device, said arm beingadapted to swing laterally vin one direction upon one axis and in theopposite direction upon another axis, and a pin mounted in saidcarrier-iron working in a double arcuate slot provided in the arm forholding said arm in proper engagement with the said carrieriron. 1

-6. The combination of a' carrier-iron, a coupling-device movablelaterally relative to said carrier-iron, an arm.mounted on saidcarrier-iron below said coupling-device in efiective engagement with thecoupling-dc vice, said arm being provided with two'sup porting lugs onits lower end adapted to straddle a bearing-rib carried by saidcarrier-iron and said arm being adapted to swing toward either side uponthe supporting lug at that side of the arm, and inter engaging guidescarried by said arm and said carrier-iron adapted to permit the swingingof said arm but to prevent the operative supporting lug from slippingout of its engagement with the carrier-iron adja -r cent, to thebearing-rib.

7. lhe combination of a carrier-iron, a coupling-device movablelaterally relative to said carrier-iron, an arm mounted on saidcarrier-iron below said coupling-device in effective engagement with thecoupling-device, said arm being provided with two supporting lugs on itslower end adapted to straddle a bearing-rib carried by 'sai carrier-ironand said arm being adaptid to swing toward either side upon the suporting lug at that side of the arm, and a pin mounted in saidcarrier-iron engaging a doublearcuateslot provided in saidlvai'm aboutthe axis upon which said arm is adapted to swing, said pin being adaptedto prevent the operative-engaging lug from slipping out of itsengagement with the carrieriron adjacent to the bearing-rib.

8. The combination of a car-body, a carrier-iron mounted thereon, aenabling-device v I movableiateraliy relative to said car-body; two armsbelow said teaming-device adapted to swing laterally tower either s deat move later-all y the car body, a bearing-plate supported by said armsin contact with said coupling-device, means for causing saidbearing-plate to of the car-body with said coupling-device; connectionsbetween said bearing-plate and said arms whereby said arms are caused toswing in unison, and means for connecting said bearing-plate with saidcarrier-iron comprising a pin carried by one of said parts working in asuitable slot in the other part adapted to hold the parts together butto permit free lateral movement of the bearing-plate relative to thecarrier-iron.

9. The combination of a car-body, a carrier-iron mounted thereon, acoupling-device THOMAS N. RUSSELL.

